Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More, WIN Rescue & Rehab Project
  • Home
    • Mission Statement >
      • What and Why
      • Palomino's Open Letter
      • Honey Bandit Time Line/Fact Sheet
      • How it should be
      • New Born Foal Health & Care
      • Anatomy of a Horse
  • Palomino's Ramble
  • Latest Updates
    • Archives
  • Rescues
    • Available for Adoption
    • Adopted
    • Permanent Residents/Special Needs
    • Gone But Not Forgotten
  • Donate & Support
  • Links
  • Contact Us

Two Steps forward One step back

1/14/2011

0 Comments

 
It's Thursday night, and I am sitting here thinking about how far Honey Bandit has come.  From that tiny little guy who could not stand up or lift his head for the first three weeks, to the amazing eating machine that he is today.  We have been through so much, and sometimes it seemed hard to see anything better in the future.  It is amazing how you can just put your mind in limbo when the outcome is too scary.  I know probably most everyone out there knows what I am talking about.   When the future looks too scary to acknowledge, you just focus on the now, the right now, and nothing else.
 
When I look back at the pictures, and especially those wonderful videos that Sue made, I am truly amazed at the amount of heart this little guy has.  I guess I have been especially lucky to have such fighters in my barn.  Starting with Chilly Pepper, (for those of you who don't know her story, go to the website at the bottom of the page), then Honey Bandit and then DaBubbles.  I guess God sent them to me to remind me not to give up the fight, and to remind me that you should never give up, no matter how much pain you are in.  (If I was a good horse, I would have been put out down a long time ago.  !)  So I guess I should be grateful for these wonderful creatures and the amazing inspiration they provide.
 
As most of you know, Honey Bandit still has some neurological issues.   Tonight I came home from town, and the boys were inside getting dinner ready.  Matt had been outside about 45 minutes earlier and everything was fine.  I came into our "barn", (carport) and said hi to the cat.  As soon as he heard my voice, Honey Bandit let out a cry for help.  He kept calling me in a manner I have never heard from him.  He was so stuck.  He was actually in a position where it was physically impossible for him to flip over or get up.  It is weird though, because I am here night after night when he gets cast, and he always stays quiet.  It was so weird for him to be calling me like that.  I went into his stall and he lifted his head and looked at me, kind of like, "mom - get me out of here".   I called Matt and the boys came out to help.  He was in a weird position, and I was afraid that when we flipped him he would be stuck again on the back door.  But all is well.  We got him "unstuck", helped him over and when he got up, had a good shake, and walked over and started to eat.   On a good note though, we have been giving him lots of time to "figure things out on his own".  Two out of the last 7 or 8 times, he has managed to "git ER done" and get himself out of his little pickle.  So that in itself is a good thing.  A little bit of progress at a time will eventually be a lot of progress, as he has show so well.  We keep as much straw as we can around the edges of his stall, but can't put too much due to the size of the stall.
 
I am not sure how I feel about Tuesday's court hearing in San Francisco.  I keep thinking about what the judge said about how Congress ordered that if there were excess horses, and I do believe that is to be determined by the appropriate studies and scientific data, that there were specific rules to be followed, and in a specific order.  I keep thinking about what Honey Bandit went through, and how the proper procedures were not followed in the slightest.
 
According to the Judge, Congress ordered  that IF, AND ONLY IF, the appropriate steps were taken and there were indeed "excess" horses, the FIRST thing by law that could and should be done is to euthanize the older and ailing horses.  That does not mean traumatizing the young and healthy horses with a helicopter.  Chances are that Honey Bandit's mom would have still been able to nurse him if she hadn't lost her milk due to the trauma of the round up.  If the laws were followed, maybe Honey Bandit would be bouncing around like a normal foal, full of fun and life and energy.
 
However, I do know that if the people at Litchfield had not given Honey Bandit to me when they did, he wouldn't have survived, and I will be forever and eternally grateful that they did. (Yup, even on those totally sleepless days after days after days)   I am hoping that we can work together in the future and prevent this from ever happening again.  If we can work together, then there will be no more foals in the condition that Honey Bandit was in.  I truly believe that the round ups should stop immediately, and if there must be herd reduction, then wait until guidelines are in place that protect the horses, before, during and after the roundups.  We need to protect their family units.  But at the very least, if we can find a way to get these injured, sick or weak foals to the appropriate rescues the FIRST day someone sees them, we could save big bucks for all concerned, plus give these babies a much better chance for a good future.
 
We appreciate all your support and help in keeping Honey Bandit alive and well to tell the story and fulfill his roll of HONEY BANDIT - AMERICA'S POSTER BOY TO STOP THE ROUND UPS!!!
 
Hugs and God Bless  P & the gang
 
www.chillypepper.weebly.com
 
Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang
30027 State Hwy 44 East
Shingletown, CA  96088
 
530 474 5197
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    OUR MAILING ADDRESS

    CHILLY PEPPER
    PO BOX 233
    GOLCONDA, NV 89414

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    Tags

    All
    AJ
    Alpacas
    Anika
    Anna Orchard
    Anne Hall
    Baby Blue
    Baby Boo McClellan
    Bellafonte
    Big Girl
    Braveheart
    Bucket
    Cayenne
    Chester
    Chilly Pepper
    Circle Bear
    Cocoa Puff
    Collins Mitchell
    Colt
    Cowboy
    Cupcake
    Dabubbles
    Dakota
    Dee
    Denny
    Diamond Dancer
    Diesel
    Donate
    Donkey
    Double J
    Fabulous Five
    Fleur
    Frosty
    Ghost
    Gila Herd
    Gypsum
    Honey Bandit
    Hope
    Janie
    Jax
    Jolene (Racoon)
    Justein
    KK
    Lacy
    Lacy & Cowboy
    Leaf
    Leeanna
    Lil Bit
    Lil Jo
    Little Mister
    Little Orphan Annie
    Love's Legacy
    LRTC
    Luckee
    Lucky
    Luna
    Mica
    Midnight Onyx
    Mika
    Mikey
    Mikey & Ikey
    Mountain Lions/Big Cats
    My Heart In The Sky
    My Heart's Desire
    Nuttah
    Nya
    Patches
    Paxton
    Pee Wee
    Phantom Jr
    Pictures
    Pistol
    Precious
    Princess
    Princess Felina
    Racoon
    Raffle
    Red Heat
    Return To Freedom
    Rocky
    Romeo
    Samoset
    Sapphire
    Sarjha
    Sasha
    Shadow
    Shimmer
    Skipper
    Sky
    Slipper
    Snowball
    Soldier
    Spartan
    Stormy
    Superman
    Suri
    Tana
    Tawny
    Texas
    Thunder Mountain
    Tia (aka Trailer)
    Timothy
    Tomahawk Crow
    Trailer
    Velma
    Walker
    Wild Horses In Need
    WIN
    Yakama
    YouCaring

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • Mission Statement >
      • What and Why
      • Palomino's Open Letter
      • Honey Bandit Time Line/Fact Sheet
      • How it should be
      • New Born Foal Health & Care
      • Anatomy of a Horse
  • Palomino's Ramble
  • Latest Updates
    • Archives
  • Rescues
    • Available for Adoption
    • Adopted
    • Permanent Residents/Special Needs
    • Gone But Not Forgotten
  • Donate & Support
  • Links
  • Contact Us